How "Open" is the open class?

[Zeke013]

So - I want to use a magnified optic on my rifle. I also want to use a red dot on my shotgun.

But I want to use a stock Glock pistol (for now) and I will not be speedloading the shotgun.

My question is this - in a large match (200 or so shooter) will everyone else in Open be fully Open? Will everyone have some gizmo on every gun? Or will some be like me and approach it piecemeal?

I might prefer to stay in limited (or tactical if it exists) if I would simply be unable to compete at all. Finishing in the bottom 20% is fine. Finishing dead last by a mile isn't.

Thoughts?

[gng4life]

You should be fine. At some local matches I go to, the Open division is very small but a few of them shoot iron sighted pistols but optics on both long guns and speedloaders for the shotgun. The mags or speedloaders for the shotgun is where they really make up some time. A comp'ed pistol would be an advantage but really it's about your ability to run your equipment and if you practice enough, you will do fine...

[MarkCO]

I have shot "Open" in 2 majors using my Tac-Optics gear and placed about 10% below my normal finish, one being Iron-Man. It all depends on the match and how it is scored. A match like Superstition or Noveske, you might lose a few percentage to the open guys. There are also some matches were if I moved my raw scores into open, I would have moved up 20 to 30 places in prize table walk.

Short answer...go shoot and don't worry about it.

The one thing that will absolutely kill you in Open is shotgun loading if you don't use a TWinS or or Quad loading method. The top guys loading this way can beat all but maybe the top 4 or 5 open guys in any given match. Mag fed reloads are around 2 seconds, speed sticks about 3 seconds for 8 to 10 rounds. So using the newer loading methods, which are easy to learn, will save you 5 or so seconds on every 8 round reload putting you like 2 seconds behind the open shotguns instead of 6 to 7 seconds.

[Zeke013]

Thanks. I may give it a go.

[Zeke013]

I have shot "Open" in 2 majors using my Tac-Optics gear and placed about 10% below my normal finish, one being Iron-Man. It all depends on the match and how it is scored. A match like Superstition or Noveske, you might lose a few percentage to the open guys. There are also some matches were if I moved my raw scores into open, I would have moved up 20 to 30 places in prize table walk.

Short answer...go shoot and don't worry about it.

The one thing that will absolutely kill you in Open is shotgun loading if you don't use a TWinS or or Quad loading method. The top guys loading this way can beat all but maybe the top 4 or 5 open guys in any given match. Mag fed reloads are around 2 seconds, speed sticks about 3 seconds for 8 to 10 rounds. So using the newer loading methods, which are easy to learn, will save you 5 or so seconds on every 8 round reload putting you like 2 seconds behind the open shotguns instead of 6 to 7 seconds.

Thanks - it is actually MGM that I am headed to.

And I will be TWinS loading.

[MarkCO]

Well, you should be good then. The folks at the top of Open are freaking machines, but it falls off quickly.

A few pointers...get a bi-pod for the rifle. Almost required, especially if you try to use the .223 for the long range targets.

Sight in those slugs for say 80 yards and know the holds for 60 to 100.

If you are shooting a 9mm Glock, get one long stick and a few boxes of Plus P ammo for the spinners.

Talk to the ROs on the clock! They help, as do squad mates. I will never forget seeing Burkett run faster to bring me more shells than he has ever moved before...cause I ran out!

Other than that, go have a blast.

I was 19th of 40 at 52% and I was shooting at about 58% in Tac-Ops at the time and it was my first Iron-Man at a match with a big learning curve.

[Alaskapopo]

So - I want to use a magnified optic on my rifle. I also want to use a red dot on my shotgun.

But I want to use a stock Glock pistol (for now) and I will not be speedloading the shotgun.

My question is this - in a large match (200 or so shooter) will everyone else in Open be fully Open? Will everyone have some gizmo on every gun? Or will some be like me and approach it piecemeal?

I might prefer to stay in limited (or tactical if it exists) if I would simply be unable to compete at all. Finishing in the bottom 20% is fine. Finishing dead last by a mile isn't.

Thoughts?

My first year shooting open I used my tac optics pistol at the time (Dawson tuned edgein 40sw) because I had spent my money on the R&R Saiga and did not have more for the pistol at the time. I just used my same rifle and pistol from tac optics and did very well locally mostly because of the advantage the shtogun gave me. I have now upgraded my pistol and rifle and other guys have gotten R&R saigas and Akdals. But basically just try what you want and upgrade your gear as you can afford it.

Pat

[Zeke013]

Thanks all - great advice.

[Daft]

I want to post to this thread as I am interested in open. I want to go a bipod with rifle as my local range goes 200 to 370 yds so it opens up possilblites with the other two guns.

On shotgun and pistol I have ?s

Shotgun:

Optics? I can see a red dot, but does it take longer to see it vs a bead or two? Type of red dot and is it worth it?

Speed sticks, I have seen them, have not tried them, but looks a lot faster than dueces I load, worth a try?

Pistola:

I do not want to spend for a new open pistol, but I would like one. So, I was thinking of putting a comp on my Glock and lightening the slide. Wondering about a red dot too??

thanks in advance

[MikeBurgess]

On the pistol at minor power factor the dot is the main advantage, comps don't do that much unless you load slow powers to get them some gas even then at minor it's not a big deal.

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[OPENB]

Of the 3 guns to not go "full open," the pistol will be most forgiving.